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As audiovisual formats and digital storage technologies continue to evolve, cultural heritage institutions are increasingly responsible for collections that span both legacy digital media and time-based audiovisual carriers. From floppy disks and CD/DVDs to MiniDiscs and tape-based formats, these materials require different, but overlapping, approaches to ensure their long-term preservation and access.

Designed for digital preservation and data professionals, as well as heritage practitioners responsible for audiovisual and legacy media, this hands-on workshop brings together forensic imaging workflows and audiovisual digitization approaches. Participants will gain a clear understanding of when and how to apply each method within a preservation strategy. Through live demonstrations on a professional forensic workstation alongside audiovisual capture setups, participants will be introduced to a range of tools, workflows, and decision-making processes. 

By the end of the workshop, participants will understand how to:

• Identify digital and time-based storage media, common formats and metadata
• Distinguish forensic imaging from digitization and select the appropriate approach
• Apply forensic imaging techniques to legacy digital carriers (e.g., floppy disks, CDs, USB drives)
• Capture audiovisual content from formats such as MiniDisc and other time-based media
• Conduct safe handling and write blocking to prevent data alteration
• Set up forensic imaging stations in a variety of institutional settings  
• Troubleshoot unreadable or failing media
• Integrate these workflows into institutional practices that support long-term preservation and access 

Learning to Work with Audiovisual and Legacy Media
University of Southampton
£175, discounted places on request
Online, 25 September 2026, 1100-1530 (BST)
See more here and book

Photographic collections are found in libraries, archives and museums all over the world. Their sensitivity to environmental conditions, and the speed with which images can deteriorate present special challenges. This one day training session is led by Susie Clark, accredited photographic conservator. It is aimed at those with responsibility for the care of photographic collections regardless of institutional context. The day provides an introduction to understanding and identifying photographic processes and their vulnerability, information on common conservation problems and solutions, and the preservation measures that can be taken to prolong the life and accessibility of photographic collections. Contact with real examples of different photographic processes is an important feature of this training session which is therefore limited to only 16 places.

At the end of the day participants will be able to: identify historic photographic processes explain how damage is caused implement appropriate preservation measures commission conservation work.

See more and book here: https://www.westdean.org.uk/study/short-courses/courses/bl34-preserving-historic-photographs

Photographs are found in large numbers in many institutions. These include museums, art galleries, libraries, universities, businesses and newspapers. They are also found in the collections of private individuals. They are a valuable historic, artistic and scientific resource made from many diverse materials and it is easy to damage them by inappropriate conservation and care. Led by Susie Clark, this course will describe the processes and photographic materials which have been commonly used and how to recognise them. It will also examine the problems caused by different processes and the appropriate methods and materials for their conservation and care. The course will include the opportunity to look at practical examples of processes and deterioration. The roles of the environment, biological deterioration, health and safety, storage and handling will also be covered. 

Susie Clark, ACR is an accredited paper and photographic conservator with many years of experience. She was formerly the conservator for a collection of approximately 20 million photographs at the BBC Hulton Picture Library (now Getty Images). Since 1990, she has been a freelance paper and photograph conservator and consultant, working throughout Britain and abroad on public and private collections. She has been the conservator for the Collaborative Research Project between the National Media Museum and the Getty Conservation Institute (USA) looking at the characteristics of different photographic processes.

See more and book here: https://www.westdean.org.uk/study/short-courses/courses/m3d07328-conservation-of-photographs